By Ali Elias
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) has announced the appointment of two senior executives, Mr. Andy Odeh and Mrs. Morenike Adewunmi, to lead its corporate communications and stakeholder relations functions.
In the new appointments, Odeh will serve as Chief Corporate Communications Officer, while Adewunmi takes up the position of Chief Relations Officer. Both executives bring decades of experience from the oil and gas industry and related sectors.
Odeh, a veteran in communications and business administration, has over 30 years of professional experience across oil and gas, advertising, and broadcasting. Before joining NNPC, he spent 26 years at Nigeria LNG (NLNG), where he rose to the position of General Manager, External Relations and Sustainable Development.
During his tenure, he oversaw several landmark initiatives, including the rebranding of NLNG, the establishment of the NLNG Prize for Energy Reporting, and the implementation of a micro-credit scheme for host communities described as one of the country’s most successful. Odeh is also an alumnus of the University of Jos, University of Lagos, INSEAD Business School, and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
Adewunmi, on her part, is a lawyer with more than 25 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, largely with the Shell Companies in Nigeria (SCIN). She is widely recognised for her expertise in stakeholder management, government relations, and regulatory compliance.
At Shell, she held key positions including Regulatory Affairs Manager and Government Relations Manager, where she liaised with the Presidency, ministries, departments, and agencies to secure the company’s regulatory and operational interests. She is known for her strong leadership qualities, emotional intelligence, and ability to manage non-technical risks. Adewunmi studied law at Olabisi Onabanjo University and the Nigerian Law School.
NNPC said the appointments underscore its commitment to strengthening communication and engagement with stakeholders as it pursues its strategic objectives in Nigeria’s evolving energy sector.